Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Good day blog friends! 8 days until Thanksgiving and oh, we have so much to be thankful for. What a blessing life is when we truly take the challenge of naming something we are thankful for each and every day. Heather's birthday has come and gone. She is 14 now. Amazing! How the time has flown, daddy will be teaching her to drive next year. Funny, it is still a clear memory as yesterday when he was teaching Stephanie to drive! The picture in this post is of her and the cake that our friend Melissa designed and baked for her special day. Today, I would like to share the story listed in Wed Nov 18th Forward Day by Day. Pilgrims visiting Poland at the beginning of the twentieth century were often told to stop and see the saintly Rabbi Israel Kagan-more commonly known as the "Chafetz Chaim." Two pilgrims were surprised to see the rabbi lived in a simple, book-lined room, in which the only pieces of furniture were a table, a bench, and a bed. "Rabbi, where's all your furniture?" the pilgrims asked. "Why, where's yours?" asked the rabbi in reply. "Ours? But we're just passing through," they said. "So am I," said the rabbi, "so am I." So are we all. May we not miss the important moments and people in our lives because they do not measure up to some heavenly expectation.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Bless, O Lord, this House, set apart to the glory of your great name and the benefit of your Holy Church; and grant that your Name may be worshipped here in truth and purity to all generations. Give your grace and wisdom to all the authorities, that they may exercise holy discipline, and be themselves patterns of holiness, simplicity, and self-denial. Bless all who may be trained here; take from them all pride, vanity, and self-conceit, and give them true humility and self-abasement. Enlighten their minds, subdue their wills, purify their hearts, and so penetrate them with your Spirit, and fill them with your love, that they may go forth animated with earnest zeal for your glory; and may your ever living Word so dwell within their hearts, that they may speak with that resistless energy of love, which shall melt the hearts of sinners to the love of you. Open, O Lord, the hearts and hands of your people, that they may be ready to give and glad to distibute to our necessities. Bless the founders and benefactors of this House, and recompense them with the riches of your everlasting kingdom, for Jesus' sake. Amen. Love, Marcia

Friday, November 6, 2009

The beautiful colors around us have started to fall to the ground in preparation for winter. The moments of "waves of leaves" drifting down like a rain fall before your eyes are amazing. Of course, the ground is covered with yellow and brown leaves, waiting to be swept, crunched, blown or just to sit and gather mold underneith. Another time for allergy sufferers to prepare for sniffles and headaches - and you thought the pollen season was bad... Still though, God's creation does not sease to amaze me. Like the sound of the gaggling geese flying above in formation, or the howl of the wind. Each day continues to bring us new experiences. Today, was a busy day for me at work. I'm learning new reports and processes to support our newly accredidation with URAC that we have worked hard for. I'm becoming a "numbers person", which I never considered a strong point for me in the past, but the pride of showing progress of accomplishments is rewarding in the end. We are meeting our turn around time goals and continue to be successful in the utilization review industry, all the while my eyes are spinning with numbers that follow me to my dreams. Tonight, is a quiet night. Roy and Brian have flown to Virginia Tech Seminary to participate in the Episcopal Relief and Development conference with other seminarians around the country. I hope to hear good things about how to keep this extremely important mission alive in the parish, when he comes home. Heather is at a friend's house. I am so glad she is adapting well and making friends. It was pretty tough at first for her, but she is really making some bonds that she will cherish for a long time. I have to say, I was so excited to get our November issue of The Messenger from Holy Trinity today. I love reading it cover to cover to stay connected with our church family back home. A big AMEN to Father Joe's editorial titled A God of Abundance or Another Reason for Thanksgiving. He reminded me how we fit into God's scheme of things by realizing all the gifts of life to be truly thankful for. I especially agree with his last statement " Don't believe for one minute you can outgive your resources. God will replenish, beyond your imagining, what you have employed in His name." I know this because I am living it. What we are getting back, here at Nashotah, far outweighs the sacrifices we have given to get here. Praise His name, alleluiah. Thanksgiving approaches, and though sad we will not be with our parents and brothers/sisters, we are excited to drive to Ohio to spend with my family of aunts, uncles and cousins. It is not often that we get to celebrate a holiday with them. In close, God's blessings to all of you - take time to consider them, count them, and rejoice.

About Me

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, did institute the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the same in remembrance of him who in these holy mysteries giveth us a pledge of life eternal, the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; ever, one God, world without end. Amen

Welcome to The Allison's Faithful Journey Blog

Thank you for following the Allison family's "Faithful Journey" as we traveled from Florida to Nashotah, Wisconsin to follow Roy's call to seminary. Now we are fulling the call in our life of ministry in Naples, Florida and around the world.